Tree strategy

There are around 240,000 trees in Cambridge, growing in a wide variety of locations including woods, parks, school grounds, hospitals, cemeteries, industrial and commercial areas and streets.

This means there are a large number of landowners responsible for trees, including local authorities, universities, individual householders and businesses.

This strategy sets out our policies for managing the city’s trees to maximise their benefits. It was approved by the Community Services Committee on 8 October 2015.

The strategy is divided into three parts:

Part 1 – Tree protection and enhancement sets out our overall strategic vision and background to the strategy. It also set out policies that will inform how we will protect the City’s tree population, as a whole, with specific reference to tree preservation orders, development control and tree canopy cover enhancement through public and partnership engagement.

Part 2 – Tree management policies sets out the background and policy as to how our own tree stock is to be sustainably and responsibly managed. It also provides guidance to inform the public on tree-related matters and on their rights and responsibilities.

Part 3 – Action plan (work in progress) will set out actions, timescales and responsibilities with regard to implementing our tree policy.

Supporting documentation

A recent study of trees in Cambridge undertaken by ADAS was completed in 2013. The aim of this study was to provide us with an evidence base that could be used to enhance the benefits that urban trees can bring in helping the city and its residents adapt to the worst effects of climate change.

A study commissioned to support the development of the strategy by exploring perceptions of our performance in managing, protecting, and enhancing the tree stock in Cambridge, and how those perceptions arise. It identified issues that might needed to be addressed in a tree strategy for the city, and suggested possible ways of tackling or mitigating the problems identified by respondents.

A report analysing the response to a public consultation on tree management in Cambridge held in 2015. It took the form of a questionnaire, based on the issues and options raised by the feedback from residents and stakeholders.

A short paper on why trees matter which provided some background on the significance of trees in the urban environment. It was produced as an informative to the 2015 consultation on tree management in Cambridge.